The present invention is directed to a process for controlling on-line a parameter of a moving sheet and more specifically to efficiently interfacing with an existing process control system.
When a computer control system is being utilized to monitor, for example, the characteristic of a moving sheet of paper (such characteristics including moisture, basis weight or caliper), it is desired to utilize this monitored information to control what is known as an actuator in the paper making industry to control the parameter to a desired set point. Since data is normally acquired with the moving sheet by scanning across the sheet and scans are sequentially taken, there is a huge amount of data which the computer control system must acquire and process.
It is important that the actuator, which in the end will utilize the acquired data or monitored parameter, should not interfere with such monitoring. Of course the software of the computer control system which is monitoring the parameter can be modified to expedite the transfer of appropriate data but this may be difficult or undesirable in many circumstances.